Computer Language Games for Young Children With Autism

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for children aged 2 to 5 years with a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It tests a computer-based language training program called MITA.

Age

2 to 5 years

Sex

All sexes can join

Disease stage

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) confirmed by an experienced study investigator. A CARS-2 total score above 48 (severe ASD) excludes a child.

Earlier treatment

Children using psychoactive medications cannot join.

Main reasons for not taking part

• A neurodevelopmental disorder of known cause (for example fragile X syndrome)
• Significant sensory or motor impairment
• Major physical problems such as a chronic serious health condition
• Seizures at the time of entry
• Use of psychoactive medications

The registry criteria, word for word

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

• Are you between 2 and 5 years old?YesNo

What the trial wants to find out

Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism (MITA) is a highly innovative adaptive language therapy application for children with autism. MITA exercises are limitless in variations, therefore avoiding routinization. Each activity is dynamic, quickly adjusting to the child's exact ability level. All activities are disguised as games that engage children. A 3-year observational clinical study of 6,454 children with ASD demonstrated that children who engaged with MITA showed 2.2-fold greater language improvement than children with similar initial evaluations (p<0.0001). This study explores MITA intervention in a randomized controlled trial of 60 children with ASD. Two- to five-year-old ASD children will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The MITA group will supplement their conventional language therapy with MITA exercises. The control group will receive treatment-as-usual. The hypothesis is that the MITA group will show greater improvement in developmental milestones.

The 2 groups in the trial

• MITA-treatmentTreatment being tested

  The treatment group received PFS-training activities emphasizing mental-juxtaposition-of-objects organized into the gamified application MITA

  Treatment: Mental Imagery Therapy for Autism (MITA)

• ControlExisting treatment, for comparison

  The active-control group received the same standard clinic-based early intervention but, during the tablet-computer-based therapy unit, used non-MITA applications targeting memory and executive functions (e.g., matching colors and shapes, logical sequences, same/different discrimination, sound discrimination, imitation and musicalization, early literacy and graphomotor skills, animal-sound matching, quantity-number association, comparison, counting, and introductory fractions).

  Treatment: General executive function